Clematis plant named ‘Zo09146’

ABSTRACT

A new cultivar of hybrid  Clematis , ‘Zo09146’, that is characterized by its nearly upright and slightly nodding facing flowers, its flowers that are pale purple in color that retain their color with very little or no fading, its good vase life as a cut flower, and its sterility and no seed is produced.

Botanical classification: Clematis hybrid.

Variety denomination: ‘Zo09146’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Clematisof hybrid origin (Diversifolia Group) and will be referred to hereafterby its cultivar name ‘Zo09146’. Clematis ‘Zo09146’ is a deciduous plantgrown for use as a cut flower.

Clematis ‘Zo09146’ was derived from an ongoing breeding program by theInventor at his nursery in Boskoop, The Netherlands. The goal of theselection was to select a new cultivar of Clematis with pink flowers tobe used as a cut flower. ‘Zo09146’ was selected in 2009 and arose from acontrolled cross made in 2007 between unnamed and unpatented plants fromhis breeding program; the female parent designated as No. 19960065 andthe male parent designated as No. 20020159.

Asexual propagation of the new cultivar was first accomplished byinternodial stem cuttings under the direction of the Inventor inBoskoop, The Netherlands in 2009. Asexual propagation by internodialstem cutting has determined that the characteristics of the new cultivarare stable and are reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and represent thecharacteristics of the new cultivar as grown outdoors and observed forfour years in Boskoop, The Netherlands. These attributes in combinationdistinguish Clematis ‘Zo09146’ as a unique cultivar of Clematis.

-   -   1. ‘Zo09146’ exhibits nearly upright and slightly nodding facing        flowers.    -   2. ‘Zo09146’ exhibits flowers that are pale purple in color.    -   3. ‘Zo09146’ exhibits flowers that retain their color with very        little or no fading.    -   4. ‘Zo09146’ exhibits good vase life as a cut flower.    -   5. ‘Zo09146’ is sterile and no seed is produced.

‘Zo09146’ differs from its female parent in having flowers that arealmost upright and spreading while the female parent has noddingbell-shaped flowers. ‘Zo09146’ differs from its male parent in havingsmaller, slightly nodding flowers with primarily 6 tepals (sometimes 5)while the male parent has larger and upright flowers with 6 to 8 tepals.

‘Zo09146’ can be most closely compared to the cultivars Clematis ‘HagleyHybrid’ (not patented) and Clematis ‘Margaret Hunt’ (not patented),differences are described in TABLE 1.

TABLE 1 Clematis cultivar Characteristic Description ‘Zo09146’ ‘HagleyHybrid’ Stigma color cream pale purple ‘Hagley Hybrid’ Style length aslong as the just slightly inner stamens longer then inner stamens‘Hagley Hybrid’ Plant habit woody herbaceous ‘Hagley Hybrid’ Filamentcolor pale purple pale yellow ‘Margaret Hunt’ Stigma color cream palepurple ‘Margaret Hunt’ Style length distinctly just slightly longer thenlonger then inner stamens inner stamens ‘Margaret Hunt’ Habit climberperennial ‘Margaret Hunt’ Filament color white pale yellow

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The accompanying colored photographs illustrate the overall appearanceand distinct characteristics of the new Clematis. The photographs weretaken of cut flower branches taken from a two-year-old plant as grownoutdoors in Tanzania.

The photograph in FIG. 1 provides a close-up view of a bouquet offlowers.

The photograph in FIG. 2 provides a view of a cut flower branch.

The photograph in FIG. 3 provides a close-up view of an opening flowerbud.

The photograph in FIG. 4 provides a close-up view of fully open flower.

The photograph in FIG. 5 provides a view of a flower with 2 tepalsremoved to provide a close up of the stamens and pistils.

The colors of the photographs are as close as possible with the digitalphotography techniques available, the color values cited in the detailedbotanical description accurately describe the colors of the newClematis.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The following is a detailed description of three-year-old plants of‘Zo09146’ as grown outdoors in full sun at a cut flower nursery inTanzania. The phenotype of the new cultivar may vary with variations inenvironmental, climatic and cultural conditions, as the cultivar has notbeen tested under all possible environmental conditions. The colordetermination is in accordance with The 2001 Colour Chart of The RoyalHorticultural Society, London, England, except where general color termsof ordinary dictionary significance are used.

-   General description:    -   -   Botanical classification.—Clematis ‘Zo09146’ (classified in            the Diversifolia Group).        -   Blooming period.—Year-round for cut flower production.        -   Plant habit.—Herbaceous perennial.        -   Height and spread.—Three-year-old plant is about 20 cm in            width at the base and 90 cm in height when pruned for cut            flower production.        -   Cold hardiness.—At least to U.S.D.A. Zone 5.        -   Culture.—Moist but well-drained soils in full sun with the            roots shaded.        -   Diseases and pests.—Susceptibility to powdery mildew caused            by Erysiphe polygoni is unknown, no pest problems have been            observed.        -   Root description.—Fleshy.-   Growth and propagation:    -   -   Propagation.—Internodial soft wood cuttings from vegetative            shoots.        -   Root initiation.—Roots develop in 5 weeks in summer under            greenhouse conditions.        -   Time required for root development.—75 to 90 days to fully            develop in a 7-cm container from a 5-cm cutting.        -   Growth rate.—Vigorous and very free flowering for cut flower            production.-   Stem description:    -   -   Shape.—Round with 6 angles.        -   Stem color.—175A.        -   Stem size.—Up to 90 cm in length for cut flower production,            an average of 3 mm in width.        -   Stem surface.—Sparsely short hairy.        -   Internode length.—6 to 11 cm.        -   Branching.—From the base.-   Foliage description:    -   -   Leaf arrangement.—Opposite.        -   Leaf division.—Ternate.        -   Leaf size.—Up to 15 cm in length and 14 cm in width            (including the petiole).        -   Leaf attachment.—Petiolate.        -   Leaflet shape.—Ovate.        -   Leaflet base.—Terminal leaflet obtuse, side leaflets            oblique.        -   Leaf apex.—Acuminate.        -   Leaf fragrance.—Just a slight fragrance when crushed.        -   Leaf venation.—Upper surface slightly reticulate, lower            surface reticulate, color similar to leaf color on upper and            lower surface.        -   Leaf margin.—Entire.        -   Leaf surface.—Upper surface; a few sparse hairs with more            densely on the main veins, lower surface; sparsely hairy.        -   Leaf color.—Upper surface; 137A, lower surface; 137C.        -   Petioles.—3 to 5 cm in length, 1 mm in diameter, 134C in            color and can be suffused with 178A, shape round but            canaliculate on upper surface, surface sparsely hairy.        -   Petiolules.—Terminal leaflet 3 to 5 cm long, side leaflets            0.5 to 1 cm in length, surface sparsely hairy, 134C in color            and can be suffused with 178A.-   Inflorescence description:    -   -   Inflorescence type.—Solitary or a 3-flowered dichasial cyme.        -   Inflorescence arrangement.—Terminal and axillary on young            shoots.        -   Peduncles.—4 to 6 cm in length, 143C in color, round in            shape, surface slightly 6 ribbed and hairy.        -   Pedicels.—4 to 6 cm in length, 143C in color, round in            shape, surface slightly ribbed and hairy with hairs denser            near the flower.        -   Flower buds.—More or less upright, oblong in shape, apex            acuminate, base obtuse, 65C in color with 141D at the base,            surface sparsely hairy with villous seams.        -   Flower fragrance.—Slightly sweet.        -   Lastingness of the flowers.—Individual flowers last 7 to 14            days until the first tepal drops, followed later by the            stamens depending on the condition when sold as a cut            flower.        -   Flower quantity.—4 or 6 flowers per stem when grown for cut            production.        -   Flower type.—Almost spreading.        -   Flower aspect.—More or less upright.        -   Flower size.—5 to 9 cm in diameter and 2 cm in depth.        -   Flower sex.—Bisexual.        -   Tepal number.—Typically 6, sometimes 5.        -   Tepal shape.—Lanceolate.        -   Tepal apex.—Acute.        -   Tepal base.—Cuneate.        -   Tepal margin.—Entire.        -   Tepal surface.—Inner surface; glabrous, outer surface;            center sparsely hairy and more densely hairy at apex, margin            villous.        -   Tepal color.—Inner surface; N82C in the center with 149C at            the base, margin N82D, outer surface; center 77D with ribs            77C and at very base 141D, margin 76B.        -   Tepal size.—Up to 4.5 cm in length and an average of 2 cm in            width.        -   Tepal appearance.—When opening the tepals remain            canaliculate for a long time but will fully spread when the            flower gets older.-   Reproductive organs:    -   -   Gynoecium.—Average of 40 to 50 pistils, up to 1.2 cm in            length, ovary 145B in color and silvery hairy, style plumose            and 159D in color, stigma 79B in color, slightly bend and            glabrous.        -   Androecium.—Filaments are 0.3 to 1 cm in length, 0.1 cm in            width and linear in shape, surface is glabrous, color 4D at            the base to 4C below the anthers; anthers are 0.5 cm in            length, 0.5 mm in width, linear in shape, and N81C in color,            pollen is 84D in color, connective is 0.5 mm in length,            elongated, apex obtuse, surface glabrous and N77D in color.        -   Seed.—Seed is not formed, observed to be sterile.

It is claimed:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of Clematis plant named‘Zo09146’ as herein illustrated and described.